General History of Evansville
Madeline Cox and Melanie Baker
The initial start of Evansville’s local government was instigated by a few individuals in the year 1819. A census was being developed that amounted to 100 individuals. As newcomers were approaching the city, there was a rush of business minded, artistic, and ambitious people who were looking to the future to make Evansville a great city. Hugh McGary’s contributions were of interest most certainly. As clerk of Circuit Court, he truly was a man of the people. He sought to make Evansville natives’ lives better in a political sense. His earnings were dispersed to different groups around town in need of funding. The establishment of Indiana’s government was a difficult process as travel and meetings were high asking. Law was not taught in schools but rather by other lawyers. In addition, bold political moves and decisions of the law were made in order to form an equal system. The first public execution in Evansville took place in 1823, which came with quite a bit of backlash. People were not happy with these new concepts of punishment, making the foundations of local government especially harder. Little by little, they came to a more fair and straightforward system.
Evansville has a rich cultural history, with a strong involvement in arts and music. With two hundred years as an established city, Evansville has undergone many changes and seen many people of different cultures and backgrounds come through our river city. Evansville especially has a large number of German and Irish descendants today, whose ancestors came to the area to find repose in a progressing settlement. There were many reasons why people came to Evansville in the Antebellum period. Some were rivermen, merchants, traders and gamblers that had a foot in Evansville to make a living. Southerners and Kentuckians were among many that saw potential in Evansville’s commerce, shipping corn, hay and pork to nearby stations. By 1850, there was a population of 3,200 people, with 36.5% being German, 50.8% whites, and 10.5% Irish. With each nationality that came into Evansville, new cultures and heritages were brought into our city. New foods, traditions, art, dances and customs traveled along with the immigrants and shaped Evansville to become the city it is today.
The 1860’s were truly a time of change for those living in what is now Evansville, Vanderburgh Co. During this decade, slavery was being abolished, allowing former slaves to join society and make their own contributions to the city. We learned about the first African-American Baptist Church which was established in 1865 that became a symbol of pride to black newcomers and of hope to the Kentucky slaves that still existed before total slavery abolishment was instated. This church, taking the name of Liberty church, suffered racism and discrimination for a long time, being criticized for their music being too different, too loud, and too terrible. Nevertheless, the church maintained its status, and with time the population began to grow.
With the growing economy post-Civil War, the demand for workers increased quite drastically. Since the time of slavery abolition, many ex-slaves and their children sought jobs in the area. They lived in area groups around the city, both by the river and some even downtown. The need for workers did not go unnoticed by the white people of Evansville. The African-Americans who worked in the area worked mostly service jobs, though segregation made its way through some parts. There was an opening for residential areas near the canal where many chose to stay due to limited economic opportunities for those of color. They prospered within their own section of the town, and with time, they integrated into Evansville.
Sources:
James E. Morlock, The Evansville Story: A Cultural Interpretation (Evansville College: 1965).
Brian Butler, An Undergrowth of Folly: Public Order, Race Anxiety, and the 1903 Evansville, Indiana Riot (New York: Garland Publishing, 2000).
Music in Evansville, Indiana: Civil War to WWII 